9.55am
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THE latest person to to test positive to COVID-19 in Victoria is responsible for international arrivals' legal status.
She does not "sit on the floors" of hotels like police officers do, authorities have said at a press conference convened on Monday morning.
The woman is responsible for issuing detention notices to international arrivals, and handling changes like moving hotels or leaving the quarantine program.
More news:
Authorities are yet to establish where the woman contracted the virus, given early investigations have not established a clear link with exposure through the quarantine program or breach of infection controls, Minister for Police and Emergency Services Lisa Neville said.
"We are obviously checking rosters and checking her movement through the hotel (to see) whether there was any engagement with anyone who was positive," said.
"I would say that one of the positives is that she has obviously been very cooperative, as we've seen with the Grand Hyatt worker. She's also been wearing masks as required, which is I think an important protection for those who have attended particular exposure sites."
About 100 health workers, hotel staff, police and military personnel are now isolating for 14 days, Ms Neville said.
She said authorities were still confident in engineering reports suggesting air is not being shared between rooms or into common areas.
"But again, we've got an occupational physician who is coming in with the engineering team to have a look to see if there is anything else with air conditioning or any links there," Ms Neville said.
Workers are now wearing facemasks, rooms have been buffered and testing is beginning for those who have the day off, she said.
"All of these changes are about continuing to make the necessary adjustments to the program as new evidence comes to light, as we see different sorts of transmission occurring."
8.45am
The newly diagnosed quarantine worker is among 20 people in Victoria with COVID-19.
A total of 11,359 people were tested yesterday, including the worker, according to health department data released this morning.
Earlier:
A NEW hotel quarantine worker has been diagnosed with COVID-19 overnight in Melbourne.
The worker at the Holiday In at Melbourne Airport was tested on Thursday, February 4, returning a negative result, The Department of Health said in a tweet late last night.
"They returned to work 7 Feb, developed symptoms, were tested and returned a positive result," it said.
"The individual is being interviewed and a full public health response is underway.
"We are contacting Holiday Inn Airport workers and others who are considered primary close contacts. They are required to immediately isolate, get tested and remain isolated for 14 days."
The department is gathering a list of exposure sites ready for public circulation. The following sites have already been listed:
Friday 5th February 2021
- Marciano's Cakes: Maidstone - 9:45am - 10:25am
- Dan Murphy's: Sunshine - 5:50pm - 6:30pm
Saturday 6th February 2021
- Off Ya Tree Watergardens: Taylors Lakes - 1:17pm - 1:52pm
- Dan Murphy's: Sunshine - 6:50pm - 7:30pm
Testing capacity near exposure sites will be scaled up from from today, with increased opening hours, additional staff and pop-up sites to be confirmed.
If you have been at an exposure site in the specified times, you are required to immediately isolate, get tested and remain isolated for 14 days, the department says.
For more information on where to get tested, call the 24-hour hotline at 1800 675 398 or visit coronavirus.vic.gov.au
Meanwhile, a testing blitz triggered by a separate quarantine worker's infection had yet to find any wider outbreak by Sunday.
Authorities grew increasingly optimistic over the weekend that a community outbreak linked to an infected hotel quarantine worker had been avoided.
The 26-year-old man from Noble Park has the UK variant of the virus.
Health Minister Martin Foley said 1151 primary close contacts had been tested and were isolating.
About 72 per cent of those tests have been returned, all with negative results.
But Mr Foley warned that anyone displaying symptoms needed to get tested.
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